U.23 Vietnam: Straight to the final thanks to coach Kim's cup luck?

Coach Kim Sang-sik's cup-winning spirit is the fulcrum for U.23 Vietnam to overcome U.23 Philippines in the Southeast Asian semi-finals.

U.23 Vietnam awaits cup match fate of coach Kim Sang-sik

At 4 p.m. today (July 25), U.23 Vietnam will compete with U.23 Philippines in the U.23 Southeast Asia semifinals. After two group stage matches, both the strengths and weaknesses of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have been revealed. If they play to their full potential, U.23 Vietnam will win. However, the knockout round always has unpredictable developments, creating a difficult problem for Mr. Kim and his students to solve.

Unlike the group stage, knockout matches are not purely a competition to see who plays better, but simply, who makes the fewest mistakes will advance. The 90-minute framework (or 120 minutes if there is extra time and penalties) is where coaches compete in intense intellectual battles, where what determines victory or defeat is not philosophy, but the ability to adapt and flexibly adjust people and playing style.

Coach Kim Sang-sik and U.23 Vietnam are ready to conquer the semi-finals

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Coach Kim Sang-sik helped the Vietnamese team win the AFF Cup 2024 with this flexibility. To be fair, Mr. Kim and his team did not play really impressively in the Southeast Asian tournament that took place at the end of last year. The brilliant performance of Nguyen Xuan Son was the main color that brought Vietnamese football back to the top. However, looking at the whole picture, the Vietnamese team's playing style was not unique and smooth, but the whole team overcame the challenge thanks to coach Kim Sang-sik's ability to read the game and skillfully adjust.

He placed Pham Tuan Hai in the starting lineup in the second leg of the final, and immediately, "little" Hai made his mark on two goals. Mr. Kim also sent Nguyen Hai Long onto the field in the second half, and then the 25-year-old midfielder scored the winning goal. In previous matches against Singapore, the Philippines, and Myanmar, coach Kim Sang-sik's substitutions were all effective.

Although he has not yet built a clear playing philosophy, the Korean coach makes up for it with his ability to turn the situation around and adapt to the game very quickly. Or to put it more humorously, coach Kim's "playbook" can only be seen after the game ends.

That is the quality that coach Kim Sang-sik needs to promote in the match against U.23 Philippines this afternoon (July 25). U.23 Vietnam does not need to be better, but just needs to be more stable, like a stream of water that knows how to be flexible and agile through each "crevice". A team that knows itself, knows its opponents, is flexible and proactive will have a ticket to the final, it does not necessarily need to dominate or show off eye-catching play.

Psychological battle

Of course, playing youth football is different from the national team in that the players' mentality is sometimes unstable. The coach setting the direction is one thing. Whether the young players have enough courage, steadiness, and control of their heads and feet to follow it... is another.

Van Truong has played youth tournaments for 3 years, but has not been able to break through.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

In the context that many U.23 Vietnam players have less than 2 years of playing for the national team, and the number of starting matches in the V-League has not exceeded 2 seasons, coach Kim Sang-sik needs to do a good job of psychological work. Players can practice very well, especially in finishing, but entering the field with pressure and a different context brings opposite challenges.

The good thing about a coach is that he can see the problem, and be ready to adjust the rhythm of play appropriately, calculate when to advance and retreat, and motivate his students with the right tactics. Coach Kim Sang-sik's ability to inspire also plays an important role. Having once considered himself the "big brother" of the players, the Korean coach needs to become a support for his students.

The upcoming matches are where Mr. Kim's mettle will be demonstrated. These are just the first steps of U.23 Vietnam, in a tournament with not too much pressure. Let's take small steps and accumulate lessons to grow day by day.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-thang-tien-chung-ket-nho-duyen-dau-cup-cua-thay-kim-185250725081131791.htm